China and US flex military might around Taiwan as tensions flare between rivals

Chinese military deploys fighter jets and warships after US Navy announces reconnaissance plane’s trip through Taiwan Strait

Taipei says PLA jets have entered air defence identification zone but haven’t crossed median line

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The PLA’s recent deployment near Taiwan included J-16 strike fighters. Photo: Handout

Published: 6:00pm, 2 Mar 2023Updated: 7:38pm, 2 Mar 2023

China and the United States have flexed their military might around Taiwan over the past three days, as tensions between the two rival powers flared up.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has sent 68 aircraft and 10 warships close to Taiwan since Monday, according to the island’s defence ministry, while the US confirmed its P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane had been deployed to fly through the Taiwan Strait.

Online flight-checking platforms showed the US had also sent aerial refuelling aircraft and bombers near the area.

The Chinese military jets were deployed just after the US Navy announced on Monday that the P-8A was flying through the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan’s defence ministry said it had detected 29 aircraft and four vessels from mainland China in the 24 hours ending at 6am on Thursday morning.

They included 17 J-10 jets and four J-16 strike fighters, and it was the biggest deployment so far this week, with 21 sorties entering the self-ruled island’s southwest air defence identification zone (ADIZ), the ministry said.

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